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FIA GT3 European Championship 2008 

Tom Cloet joins Tim Bergmeister at the wheel of a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S Mühlner Motorsport !  

The least one can say and write is that Tom Cloet was not in a rush to make a decision regarding his 2008 sporting programme. Silver medallist in the Citation Cup of the FIA GT championship last season, he carefully analysed the various proposals put to him, mainly in the field of the FIA GT3 European Championship. A championship which seems to fit this Belgian driver like a glove.  

While at Zolder on Thursday to test the KS Motorsport Ginetta G50 GT4, which he will drive this weekend in the opening round of the Belgian GT Championship, Tom took the opportunity to slide into the seat of the brand new Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S of the Mühlner Motorsport team. A car that Jean-François Hemroulle was busy fine tuning. Following on from a swift test run Cloet had a discussion with Bernhard Mühlner, which resulted in an agreement for the entire 2008 FIA GT3 European Championship.  

"To be entirely open I’m really proud of the programme I’ll be competing in this year ", Tom explained.”The mere thought of being able to evolve with the Mühlner Motorsport team, a team I have great respect for, at the wheel of this Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S known to be highly competitive, and in addition to have the German Tim Bergmeister as a team-mate really fills me with great joy ! This international competition specially reserved for GT3 cars is held over only 6 race weekends, but I have every intention to prepare for this properly. It is a known fact that I’m kept very busy on the professional front, and last year I often arrived at circuits feeling pretty tired. I want to handle matters in a different manner for this FIA GT3 championship. I’m going to allow myself two days of holiday prior to each meeting, basically to recharge my batteries and arrive at a meeting in great shape..." 

In fact it’s in just over one week’s time that Tom Cloet will be back in action at the wheel of the Mühlner Motorsport Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S at Silverstone, for the first round of the FIA GT3 championship. "I must admit that I feel somewhat under pressure, as I know that this competition will be far more open than last year’s Citation Cup. We expect some fifty competitors and everyone knows that the Porsche, Mühlner and Bergmeister are major players. All the same it is the type of challenge I enjoy, and I’m sure that this 2008 sporting season will bring me an enormous amount of additional experience. To be honest I just can’t wait for the race at Silverstone..." 

Even though Tom Cloet will be fully concentrating his efforts on the FIA GT3 European Championship this season, we mustn’t exclude one or two other extras. As yet nothing is definite, apart from a full fledged training session in the Ginetta G50 GT4 this coming Saturday and Sunday at Circuit Zolder. Action !      

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